Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 06:13:02 -0500
From: David Presents
Subject: The Plight of Strolin Chapter 3
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***************************************************************
The Plight of Strolin
Chapter 3
Prince Thrin was dressed in one of his formal outfits, but he still
was not prepared for the banquet. He was pacing up and down the floor of
his study.
He wasn't quite sure what he should do about the latest developments. An
hour earlier, he had received messages from two other races. The elves
that live in the forest had sent him a message from their king, stating
that an emissary would arrive at some point today, and that the dwarves
were sending a messenger as well. As soon as he had finished reading the
first message, his page had brought another to his study. The message was
from the dwarves, and also stated someone would be arriving today.
The dwarves and elves had not been seen in Rolenda in over 70
years. There had been an occasional sighting, but only on the outskirts.
For over 1000 years, the elves, dwarves, and the Kingdom of Rolenda had
been living in peace. The elves lived in the Endless Woodlands, which was
to the far south of the Kingdom, and the dwarves lived in the Stone Hills
to the east. The three races had supplied each other with knowledge and
goods for the betterment of all.
73 years ago, a large army had waged war against the Kingdom, the
dwarves, and the elves. The army had consisted of trolls, goblins, orcs,
and wolffen. Normally, these races would have tried to kill each other,
but under the leadership of Kathos. Kathos was a powerful sorcerer,
drawing his powers from his master Skentrak.
Skentrak had once been the most powerful force of magic in the
world. When he tried to use his powers to take control of Strolin, he was
defeated by the combined power of the races. They managed to destroy his
body, but his soul escaped, and remained hidden for over 3000 years. When
magic had begun to fade, and the races lost most of their power, Skentrak
resurfaced, and pushed to take control again. This happened 74 years ago.
Kathos had been a famous soldier. He was famous for his strength,
his beauty, and his speed. When he started to age, he prayed for a way to
remain youthful forever. Skentrak promised him to preserve his body, if he
would name Skentrak as his master. When he made his unholy pact, Kathos
became the most dreaded name for his race. Kathos was a drow-elf by birth.
He was over 7 feet tall. Once his eyes had been green, but after making
his deal, his eyes changed to a glowing red. His skin which was naturally
dark, became as black as night, along with his hair. He grew to 8 feet,
and gained the strength of 10 men.
Kathos gathered all of those who would listen to him, and soon had
an enormous force at his command. When he had gathered his army, they
began their trek from the far north. By the time they had left the Waste
Lands, their force had almost doubled in size. The humans and dwarves had
each tried to stop them, but to no avail.
For the good of the world, the three strongest races joined forces,
and with their combined might, managed to push Kathos back to the north.
When the threat had disappeared, the three races had each gone their own
way, and had not had any dealings with each other in the last 70 years.
Thrin had reviewed the past time and time again, and his uneasiness
grew and grew. After such a long time, why would the races need to talk
now? The other two races had each sent representatives, which were due to
arrive on the same day that two strange mages, and a young thief had come
to his palace. All of these events, on the same day, added up to a very
nervous Prince Thrin.
A knock came at the door. "Enter." A young page entered.
"Highness, your guests have been summoned, and everyone has gathered for
the meal. They await your entrance." The page held the door open for
Thrin, and shortly after Thrin was standing before his dinner guests.
"Good evening. I'd like to introduce the mages Piffin and Griffin, and
Scott the young savior of my niece. They do this court honor by being
here, and we thank them for coming. Now, let's enjoy the evening."
At this particular night's meal, it was only the honored guests,
and the family of Prince Thrin. At the head of the table, was the prince,
and to his right was his wife the queen. To his left was his son Wil.
Normally his youngest son Trent would have been sitting next to Wil, but
Trent was happy to have Scott between the two of them. Sitting beside
Trent was Piffin. To the queen's right, her brother, and his daughter
Shannon were seated. And beside Shannon was Griffin.
Being this close to nobility, let alone Prince Thrin himself, Scott
was very anxious. He followed Wil's table manners as best he could, and
managed to get through the meal without making a fool of himself. When the
meal was finally over, Scott took the time to look over the other guests.
He had been watching Wil so closely that he hadn't had the chance before.
When he looked over at Piffin. He took in his facial features, his
clothing, and then his eyes were drawn to his belt buckle. He gasped and
fell from his seat.
All eyes turn towards Scott, and he blushes from the attention.
"Sorry your Highness. I just happened to look at Piffin's belt buckle. It
reminded me of something I had seen in my dreams. Please forgive the
disturbance." When he began his monologue, he had been staring at the
ground, stuttering from his embarrassment. As he finished, he was gazing
directly at the twin mages.
Thrin turned towards the elder of the mages. "May I see one of
your buckles please?" Piffin nodded his head, removed his buckle, and
handed it to the prince. "These buckles were made especially for my
brother and me. The twin dragons of light and dark are our crests. Tell
me Scott, what do you know of our symbols?" Scott has again become the
center of attention. "In my dreams, two serpents, one light, and one dark
approached me. The beasts changed into human form, and grabbed me. They
showed me visions of death, and destruction. Then I wake up. I've been
having these dreams for many days. Do you have any idea what they could
mean?"
Wil was the first to respond. "I've also had dreams with your
crest. Mine weren't as terrifying as Scott's, but I was still chased by
twin dragons. Could there be a connection?" The two mages exchanged a
look, all was silent. "Piffin, have you been sending these dreams to
them?" "No, and since you ask, I assume you didn't either." "You are
correct about this, do you suppose Krylous is responsible?" "I think that
is the answer, are they the ones we are searching for?" "They are two of
those we are searching for. If Master Krylous has given the dreams to
these two, then soon others will also find us, and they too will have seen
the dreams. We must find the others to complete our mission, but for now,
let's get these two on our side."
The pause had only been seconds, for thoughts can travel faster
then normal words. Piffin turned to look at Wil, then at Scott. "We think
that we know what the dreams mean. Later tonight, we will reveal our
suspicions to you." Wil turned his head slightly to the side. "Why must
we wait to find out? Why can't you just tell us now?" Piffin shook his
head from side to side. "We have a feeling that others will soon be here,
and they too will need our answer. We will wait until all are here, then
we will inform everyone at once." Scott and Wil looked disappointed, but
they both knew that they'd get the answer later.
Thrin stood up, and informed those at the table that a group of
minstrels would be entertaining them. He clapped his hands, and the
performers walked in, took their places, and began the show.
The show lasted for a couple hours. The minstrels played many
different songs, but most were of an upbeat fashion. When the musicians
had played their last song, they bowed, and sent the youngest around to
collect the coins thrown at them. After another bow, the room was empty
except for the royal family, and their honored guests. Piffin and Griffin
stood. All eyes turned towards the twins. It was Griffin who spoke this
time. "The ones we have been waiting for have arrived. If you wish to
greet them before they bang on the gate, we must go now."
Thrin glanced at the mages, and rose to his feet. "I would be
honored if all of you accompanied me to greet our guests. Please, let us
give them a welcome in a stylish manor." The dinner party filed out of the
dinning room, marched purposely down the various corridors, and finally
reached the gate. And there was a sight that hadn't been seen in so many
years.
Approaching down the main street of Dugron were the representatives
of the elven and dwarven empires. The tall, fair skinned elves, and the
dwarves were short, stout, and sun darkened. The dwarves marched in
rhythm. The elves were ridding their famous steeds.
The steeds of the elven kind resembled deer, but were far larger,
and stronger. These animals were known as the Teirven. They have a rich
golden color of their fur. Their heads were ornamented with three horns
each. The horns on the side were shaped like those of a mountain ram. The
third horn was centered in the middle of the creature's forehead. There is
a myth in elven lore that tells of a mating between a unicorn and the
genetic grandfather of the teirven. These animals could only be ridden by
the elves, and only when one of the royal bloodline was present to ask the
teirven to carry the burden.
When the respective lines reached the greeting party, the dwarves
and elves halted their march. The dwarf that was in charge stepped
forward, and bowed before Thrin. "Your Highness, I am Carzo, War leader
for the Stone Hill dwarves. We bring our greetings from our Queen. I only
wish it could be under happier circumstances."
The leader for the elves took his turn bowing, and then made his
introduction. "I am Trylon, elder prince of the elves." He motioned to
another elf. "This is my younger brother Falon. We bring greetings from
our King, and also wish it could be for something less dire. We need to
have council with you as soon as possible."
Thrin motioned for his stable men and boys to take care of the
elven steeds, but Trylon raised his hand for a pause. "That will not be
necessary, but we thank you for your generosity." He walked over to his
mount, bowed before it, and made a few whispering noises to it. The
teirven turned, and sped past the gates, and out of the city. "They will
return from the forests when they are needed."
Thrin turned to his band of servants, which had gathered to see
what the commotion was about. "Show Carzo and his men to the west half of
the guest wing, and take Trylon and his men to the east half." Thrin
turned to his guests. "I'm sorry that we are not prepared for your
arrival. I only received your messages earlier today, and the entire staff
of the castle managed to get the east and west sections of the guest wing
cleaned up. If we had more warning, I would have ordered the second guest
wing opened and cleaned. I apologize, but the quarters may be a bit
cramped. I can probably have the second wing cleaned in a day, maybe two,
but until then, it will be a bit crowded. Please, follow my staff to your
rooms, and try and make yourselves comfortable. Seeing as it has already
grown late, I will meet with you in council in the morning."
The two parties were led to their rooms, and the castle staff
busied themselves in preparation for all of the food and supplies that
would be needed for such a large group of guests.
The dwarves and elves were as cramped as Thrin had estimated, and
except for their leaders, they were forced to bunk 4 in a room. Carzo
shared his room with his second in command Fenta. Trylon and Falon also
shared a room. Piffin and Griffin had earlier moved into a single room, to
save space. Thrin turned his gaze towards Scott. "Since the elves and
dwarves are already quartered, and the honored mages have decided to share
a room, that leaves us with an open room for you."
Wil got a sly grin on his face. "Father, since Scott is new to the
castle, and not adept in some of its workings, I think I'll share my room
with him, and show him around." His father nodded, and Wil dragged Scott
to their room.
Once they were alone, Scott attacked Wil with a barrage of
questions. "Why are all of the people in those two parties so young? What
were those things the elves were riding? Are there any dwarven females
that fight? I saw a few elven females in their ranks, and I know we have
mixed companies in our armies, but what about the dwarves? Why didn't the
mages ever tell us about our dreams? Did I do all right with my table
manners at the meal? Did I look stupid when I fell from my seat after
seeing Piffin's buckle? Why aren't you saying anything? Answer me!"
Scott's questions had been blurted out at such a speed that Wil had
to pause to separate one question from another. When he had finally
deciphered all of his friend's quarries, he motioned for them to sit down
before he continued.
"The dwarves are very unique. Like the elves, they are so
long-lived that when they appear 20 to us, they could be anywhere from 20
to hundreds of years old. That's why you didn't see any old looking
people. The reason you didn't see any dwarven females is sort of humorous
to outsiders. Their females fight as well, and sometimes better then their
males, but even the dwarves can't tell them apart."
Scott tried to make sense of the last statement, but failed. "But
Wil, what do you mean even the dwarves can't tell them apart?" Wil took on
the tone of a patient teacher with a slow student, but Scott didn't notice
the change. "What I mean is that the males and females of the dwarves look
so much alike, that even a dwarf can't be totally certain who is male and
who is female. They also sound alike, so that's no help either. It's the
greatest insult in their culture to ask someone if they are male or female.
It's an on-going game that they play. When they find someone they fall in
love with, they don't even know if their lover is male or female until they
have sex."
Scott nearly burst a gut laughing so hard. "You mean that the
dwarves are an entire race of bisexuals? That's preposterous!" Wil let
out a silent sigh.
"No Scott, it's not preposterous, it's true. They fall in love with the
person, not their gender. Of course there are times when couples will
split up because their significant other isn't the sex that they had
originally thought. But on a whole, the dwarves are the most open minded
of the races. Now on to other things."
Will went on to teach Scott of the history of the teirven, and the
history of the war that had been fought before the races went their own
ways. "And as to your question about the mages, I don't know the answer.
Perhaps they intend to tell us tomorrow in council, or perhaps it is
something that they will not share to non- mages."
Scott's eyes widened. "Are we going to be part of the council
between the kingdom, the elves, and the dwarves?" "Yes, my father wants me
to learn how to rule, so I must be there, you are another honored guest,
and it is expected that you should be there. Plus, your skills of stealth
may come in handy. And when I say handy, I don't mean for you to steal the
possessions of our other guests. Understand?"
Scott hit Wil in the arm, not to hard, but hard enough to make Wil
wince. "I don't steal from good people. I thought you understood that I
only steal from those that deserve it and worse. I know a thief with a
sense of morals is rare, but you've found one. I don't like taking things
from good, honest people, but some people do deserve it. And for those
people, I get a sense of satisfaction knowing that I'm causing trouble for
them."
Wil looked towards the floor. "I didn't mean any offense, I'm
sorry. Anyway, what should we do now?" Wil looked back up at Scott.
"It's pretty late, should we go ahead and get to bed?" Scott started to
squirm a bit. "I don't normally sleep in anything, and didn't think to
bring something to wear." Wil grinned and Scott stopped his squirming. "I
don't sleep in anything other then my underclothes, and that's only on cold
nights. Tonight is nice and warm, so I won't wear anything either.
Alright by you?" Scott nodded his head, and they both began to get ready
for sleep.
Scott had a think bush of black, curly hair. He had some hair on
his arms and legs, but none on his chest. Wil on the other hand, was
almost totally hairless. He had some very fine thin blonde hair
surrounding his penis, but it was so light in color it was hard to see.
Wil was developing well, because of his activities that he did for fun, and
Scott was well muscled from having to pull himself all over roofs, and from
his life as a thief.
After they had finished admiring each other's bodies, they climbed
into Wil's large bed. Although there was plenty of room for the two boys,
they ended up both in the middle very close to each other. Both of them
were exhausted, so they were quickly asleep.
Scott had a wonderful nights sleep, and for the first time in
weeks, there were no dragons in his dreams tonight. After a few normal
average dreams, he had a very arousing one. He dreamed that he was lying
in bed with Wil, and that they were exploring each other's bodies. Dream
Scott felt something warm cover his cock, and assumed it was Dream Wil's
hand. After a few dream moments, Dream Scott had his orgasm, and a minute
later, Scott woke up.
Scott reached down to his penis, and found it wet. He assumed that
he must have cum in his sleep when he had that wonderful dream. For some
reason his cock was only wet, and not sticking to the sheets. Scott
quickly relaxed and was once again asleep.
When Scott's breathing had gotten into the regular pattern of
sleeping, Wil cleaned himself up. He had tried his hardest, but some of
Scott's cum had managed to dribble out of his mouth and onto his chin. He
couldn't believe that Scott could be such a sound sleeper, but it was to
his good fortune. After he had finished his clean up, he was quickly back
to sleep himself.
* * *
In the west half of the guest quarters, Carzo had taken the
smallest of the rooms for himself, and his second. Although he could have
chosen the largest of the rooms, and none of his soldiers would have said a
word, Carzo was much more considerate of his fighters. He still had as
much if not more room as the rest of his party.
He glanced over at his most trusted friend, and second in command.
Fenta was about 4 feet and 7 inches tall, and was one of the tallest
dwarves. Carzo himself was an inch taller then Fenta, and was taller then
almost all of the other dwarves. Fenta had rusty red hair, with the
typical cut of a dwarven beard. He had bright green eyes. Carzo had black
hair and a black beard, and dark brown eyes. Both dwarves had the typical
dark tan, and were well muscled.
Carzo had been attracted to Fenta for many years, but hadn't gotten
around to making any moves. Because of their long lives, dwarves and elves
never rushed into things, so Carzo was taking his time to get close to
Fenta.
They talked about various things until late into the night, then
they said their goodnights, and both went to bed.
* * *
In the east half of the guest quarters, Trylon had also taken the
smallest of the rooms along with his brother Falon. Both brothers were
tall and fair skinned, Trylon being 6 feet and 10 inches, and his younger
brother being 3 « inches shorter then his older brother. Trylon had
very light brown hair, and Falon had a blondish color. Trylon had piercing
hazel eyes, and Falon had a dark green color in his eyes. Both princes
looked skinny and weak, but they were far stronger then they appeared.
The room had two small beds that had been pressed together so the
princes could share a bed. They had long ago found out that they were in
love with each other. Their parents had taken a couple generations to get
used to the idea, but now they were accepting of their sons' love for each
other. The princes had a younger sister who would continue the royal
bloodline.
Trylon and Falon were lying close together, and lightly cuddling.
They were both exhausted from their long journey, so they decided to forgo
any sexual acts tonight, and just get a good night's sleep. They were both
soon asleep, and enjoying a very restful night.
* * *
The castle was sleeping except for the night watch of guards, and
the staff that was still rushing to prepare for tomorrow's meals. Torches
illuminated the hallways, and were set about every 20 paces. The
entranceway to Wil's room was decorated with an ornate arch. The arch had
been build of stone, and then engraved with the royal crests. In addition
to the archway, there was a very short walk between the arch and the door.
Because of the walk, and archway, if the door to Wil's room were opened
only slightly, no light would show through from the hallway torches.
In those very shadows, was a small boy, crouching in the darkness.
The boy slowly opened the door to Wil's room. He then crept inside, making
sure to be extremely quiet. He had been in this room many times before, so
he knew where to walk. What he wasn't expecting was to find Wil sleeping
with another boy.
The boy smiled, he had hoped that Scott would be here. Wil seemed
very happy around Scott, and that also made the boy happy. The boy loved
his brother, and was happy that he had chosen such a fine looking friend.
Trent had been sitting beside Scott at dinner, but he hadn't tried to talk
to him. He wanted to see him naked, so he had quietly gotten into the room
where he was supposed to be.
Not finding Scott their, Trent had decided he must be with his
brother Wil. Trent pulled the sheet back very slowly. With the aid of the
moonlight, and from years of running around playing in the dark, Trent
could make out the shapes of their bodies fairly clearly. Wil and Scott
were sleeping peacefully in the nude, and with their arms loosely draped
over each other. Trent thought the entire scene was very cute, and with
another quick peek, he replaced the cover, and quickly but quietly ran to
his own room.
Once back in his own room, he was quickly naked, and comfortably in
bed. He called a clear picture of his brother sleeping with the thief, and
with a few quick pulls he had a powerful orgasm. Because he was only 10
years old, it was a dry one, but still very pleasurable to him. He pulled
up his sheets, and then rolled into a comfortable ball. He let out a
content sigh, and was promptly asleep.
* * *
The next morning was a clear, and bright day. The castle staff had
spent the whole night working in shifts, and all was prepared for a very
big day. Prince Thrin had ordered a large breakfast early in the morning,
so that all of the members of the council would have plenty of energy. He
had also ordered a midday feast, to honor the return of the elves and
dwarves into the kingdom.
Prince Thrin, his wife, their two sons, Scott, the twin mages, the
elven princes, and Carzo and his second, Fenta were present for breakfast.
The meal was filling, with many rare dishes being served. Other then the
expected compliments on the food, and the appearance of the meal, nothing
else was said. Everyone knew that this meeting wasn't for fun, and
everyone was wondering what would be said in the council.
Once the meal was finished, the table was cleared, and the servants
dismissed. Although it was not usual for the queen and her youngest son to
stay, they were asked to remain in this particular council. Thrin stood
up. "I know that this meeting must be of something important because of
all of you ending up here at one time. I do not know what this meeting is
about, so I'd like to start by someone filling me in."
Prince Trylon rose as Thrin sat down. "My father's mystical
adviser has told us that an evil is gathering in the north. We sent
several small groups of scouts to discovery the identity of this evil. It
seems that Skentrak and his servant Kathos are on the move again. We
managed to sneak in a few spies, and we have discovered some very bad
news."
Trylon picked up a small scroll that he had sitting on the table.
"Kathos is gathering another large army, but this time it isn't just for
fighting and dividing our races. Our informants tell us that this attack
has to do with the stars. Skentrak was able to live as a spirit, and not
pass with his body only because of the stars. He had found a stone in a
meteorite crater that radiated in magical power. When his body was
destroyed, he used the stone, and it drew its strength from a strange star
alignment. Kathos recovered this stone, and it was the reason he became
the carrier of destruction. In the last battle with Kathos, we managed to
steel this stone, and without his talisman, Kathos lost support, and was
forced to pull back."
Those gathered were all listening intently, but the one most
interested, was Trent. When Trylon paused, Trent was the first to ask the
questions on everyone's mind. "What happened to the stone? And if he
doesn't have his talisman, then why is a new army forming?"
All eyes were once again on the prince of elves. "We gave the
stone to our finest warriors, and they took it deep into the Sandtrap. You
humans refer to the elven forest as the Endless Woodlands, but what you
don't know, is that past our trees, there is an area of desert, that we
have found no life in, and is sand, for as far as the eye can see. We have
sent many expeditions, and those that return all tell of endless sands. On
one of these expeditions, the company came upon a whirlpool in the sand.
One of the elves had gotten caught in it, and they all ended up falling
into it. They were sucked down into a gigantic underground cavern. This
cave had a magical aura of protection, keeping it from being discovered,
and magical spells keeping the whirlpool in place. The stone is now hidden
deep in that cavern. For the answer to your other question, my brother
will be the one to speak on that."
Falon rose, and picked up his own scroll. "The reason that Kathos
is able to round up another army is all in the stars. In one month's time,
the stars will move into the exact alignment that they were in when
Skentrak lost his physical form. They will remain in that alignment for
well over a year, so simple delaying Kathos is out of the question. If
Skentrak can get a hold of the stone while the stars are in the correct
alignment, he will be able to take on any physical form he wants. We don't
know how to stop him, and only have one clue. Our seer was given a vision
that simply told him that we must come here, and that is all we can do for
now."
It was now the dwarves turn to speak. Carzo stood up. "We had
received reports of the army, and sent our own scouts. We were not able to
get as much information as the elves, because anyone can spot a dwarf. We
sought advice from our soothsayer, and he told us we must come here. We
met the elven party along the way, and we marched and camped together on
our journey. And now we are all here, and are still seeking advice."
Piffin and Griffin stood up. Piffin nodded to his brother, and
began to speak. "We would like to ask a quick question. Will everyone who
has received dreams involving something like these symbols please raise
your hand?" The two mages removed their buckles, and passed them around
the table. When they had gone all the way around, the snapped them back
into place, and looked at those who had raised their hands. Everyone at
the table except for Trent, Thrin, and Aretha had their hand in the air.
Griffin informed the council that the symbol stood for the twins,
and their separate arts. Then he moved on to tell them about the dreams
most likely coming from their master Krylous. "Our master must have
foreseen that you would be needed for our cause, and with the help of his
dreams, he has chosen our force. There is one thing about the stone that
Trylon and Falon were telling us about that they don't know."
Piffin took over from his brother. "During the last battle with
Kathos, when his rock was taken, some of the warriors tried to destroy it.
They tried everything they could think of, but nothing seemed to work.
They brought it to Krylous, and asked him if there was a way to destroy it.
He experimented on it for weeks, and came back with his answer. The stone
cannot be destroyed, but there was a way to separate a section of the stone
from the main body. Since Skentrak used the stone's power when it was
whole, he must recover both the main part of the stone, and the shard.
They are hidden in different locations, and as long as they are kept apart,
Skentrak will not win."
Griffin had been nodding along with Piffin's history lesson, and
finally managed to add something of his own. "Krylous has told us that if
we can get the help of a few key people, we may find a way to destroy the
shard. The stone is beyond hope for destruction because it is too
powerful, but the shard is not. It has fallen to you, those of you with
the dream, to help us. This will be a very dangerous mission, but if we
fail, Strolin is doomed."
All around the table gasps were heard, and grim looks were on every
face. Then Scott stood up. "I don't know what I can add to this effort,
but I will do anything within my power to help your cause." Wil stood up,
and with a determined look, he agreed to join the fight. Grim faces
changed to looks of determination. All of the chosen voiced their own
promise to fight on behalf of the people of Strolin.
Although Thrin and his wife we both very proud of their son's
bravery, they didn't want him to get hurt. Thrin looked at every face,
then, cast his eyes downward. "I'm sorry son, but I can't allow you to go.
You are to young to go on such a risky adventure, and I will not allow it.
I will take your place, and serve in your absence." When Wil started to
protest, Thrin raised his hand to silence his son. "I did not ask your
opinion in this matter. My order is final, you will not be going on this
mission."
Thrin turned to the two mages. "When do you need to mobilize your
team, and move out? I will do my best to facilitate all of your needs."
Piffin made a gesture toward his brother, and Griffin turned toward Thrin.
"We would need to leave tomorrow if possible." When Thrin nodded and was
about to say that would be fine, Griffin cut him off. "We are sorry, but
you cannot take your son's place in our group. He was chosen, and no
matter how much you hate the fact, we need his help to succeed. I do not
have any idea what skills Wil might add to our quest. All I know is that
we need all of the chosen to succeed. Now, do you understand?"
Thrin was looking towards Griffin, and working his mouth, but
saying nothing. He was shocked that someone had actually sat him in his
place. Queen Aretha, always being the polite one of the family, pulled her
husband into his chair, and pushed his jaw closed. Then she patted him on
the back and spoke on his behalf. "We wish we could protect Wil, but it is
his decision, and we stand behind him. We're proud that he has chosen to
do his part to save the world, and if there is anything else we can do,
merely let us know."
Thrin had finally recovered, and addressed the council. "I will
have food stores prepared, and readied by dawn. Horses for any that
require them. Extra clothing, weapons, armor, and anything else you might
need. I will have the entire castle at your disposal. If you need
something that wouldn't be thought of normally, tell my Chief of Staff.
Now, you have the rest of today, and tonight to rest. We have a large
banquet planned for 3 hours after noon, and I will look forward to seeing
you then. Make good use of your time, this may be the only downtime you
have for a very long time. Until then."
The council dismissed, and the council members went off to spend
their free time. Wil wanted to tour the town with Scott, but Scott needed
to run a few errands before they could spend time together. The elven
princes were busy checking out Dugron, and giving a face to the legend of
elves. Carzo and Fenta had joined Trylon and Falon, and were drawing
stares from countless people. Griffin and Piffin had heard about a few
local magicians, and had taken it upon themselves to separate the real ones
from the fakes.
Scott had hidden many stashes of gold and jewels into secret areas
in the city. After he had recovered some gold, he went to his stash of
jewels. He removed two rubies, and four emeralds. His next stop was the
best gold smith in Dugron.
When he arrived, he talked to Steflen, and told him of the pieces
he wanted. Steflen was about to throw him out of his shop until Scott
handed him the gold that he was supposed to melt down and use. He had
stolen the gold from an underground rare metals dealer who had a tendency
to beat anyone that was in his area, and alone. Then Scott gave the smith
the jewels to be used, and asked of the cost.
They haggled for a few minutes, and when they settled on a price,
Steflen wanted to know the name of his customer. When he learned who his
customer was, and made the connection with the riches and strange clothing,
he dropped his price considerably, on the condition that he would not be
the target of Scott's boosting. Since Scott liked the honest man, and
hadn't considered him a possible job, it was agreeable to both sides. The
gold smith had just finished his last job, so he would be able to finish
them by sundown.
Scott returned to the room he was sharing with Wil, and they
planned how they would spend their time that remained.
If you enjoyed reading Chapter 2 of The Plight of Strolin, please
feel free to contact me at dwpresents@hotmail.com Please send only comments
that are 'constructive'.
For those comments that you know I don't want to see, don't bother
typing them.